Captain America #142
And in the End
Captain America and the Falcon have failed to stop the Grey Gargoyle from entering the secret lab where Element X is being contained. Having had to abandon the SHIELD helicarrier, they now check on Nick Fury and Sharon Carter who are now recovering after the Gargoyle turned them into stone an hour earlier. Steve Rogers is happy to know that Sharon is well and promises that he’ll be by her side from now on. The happy couple then share a kiss. That’s when Redwing, Falcon’s pet falcon, arrives on the scene.[1] This is when Fury reminds them that the Grey Gargoyle is still running loose inside the secret lab.
Inside the lab, the security detail tries to stop the Grey Gargoyle from reaching Element X. Unfortunately, the villain can easily shrug off their munitions with his stone body. While outside, Redwing spots a skylight for Captain America and the Falcon to enter the facility from. The pair scale up the side of the mountain with Falcon’s grappling hook. As they arrive on the scene, the Grey Gargoyle has just secured Element X by turning its container into stone the one thing that can contain the powerful element.
Meanwhile, back in the city, the NYPD commissioner visits with community leader Reverend Garcia, who is recovering in the hospital after he was briefly turned into stone by the Grey Gargoyle.[2] The pair talk about how the new rookie cop, Steve Rogers, is a positive addition to the Reverend’s community. Garcia’s hope is that Rogers will help the rebellious youth in the area. Their conversation is interrupted by a woman named Leila, who is part of a group of community activists who think that the authorities are trying to influence the Reverend into whitewashing the problems in Harlem.[3] She then vows that if they can prove this is the case there will be riots. When Leila departs both men are gravely concerned over the rising tensions in the area and fear it may actually lead to violence.
Back in the secret laboratory, Captain America and the Falcon’s battle with the Grey Gargoyle continues. In the ensuing battle, Redwing manages to snatch the container of Element X and pass it to the Falcon. He then lures the Grey Gargoyle into the specially prepared stone space-shuttle that SHIELD was going to use to jettison Element X into space. There, Captain America stuns the Gargoyle with a blow from his shield and the two heroes bail out of the ship as Nick Fury prepares it for launch. As the escape hatch closes, the Gargoyle — in a panic to escape — accidentally turns the door into stone, trapping him inside. The rocket is then shot into space, where neither the Gray Gargoyle nor Element X can threaten anybody.[4]
Recurring Characters
Captain America, Falcon, Grey Gargoyle, Nick Fury, Sharon Carter, Leila Taylor, Reverend Garcia, Commissioner Feingold (unnamed), Redwing
Continuity Notes
Redwing was turned into stone by the Grey Gargoyle in Captain America #140.
The commissioner is unnamed here. Defenders #34 identifies their last name as Feingold.
Leila’s last name is not revealed here. It’s identified as Taylor in Captain America #188.
Obviously, this is not the last we have heard of the Grey Gargoyle, who will rear his ugly head again in Marvel Team-Up #13.
Topical References
This story presents the entire community of Harlem as a slum rife with racial tensions, as it was at the time this story was published in 1971. This should be considered a topical reference. Harlem has undergone gentrification much like the rest of Manhattan and is not quite the slum it was in the 70s. However, it still has issues within the housing projects that still exist in the area. The racial tensions in this story are — to put it lightly — present a very simplistic understanding of a complex issue.
